Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On September 18, 2013, Dwight Yoakam was named Artist of the Year by the Americana Music Association at its awards show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. In 2018, Dustin Lynch was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. Carl Jackson and Greg Leisz share this birthday.
Dwight Yoakam was named Artist of the Year by the Americana Music Association at its awards show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Sam Bush accepted for him.
Priscilla Mitchell was born in Marietta, Georgia. She teamed up with Roy Drusky on "Yes, Mr. Peters," a 1965 duet that went all the way to No. 1 on the country chart. She was married to Jerry Reed.
Greg Leisz was born in Buffalo, New York. The sideman plays pedal steel, lap steel, dobro, mandolin and guitar, and he spent years touring with k.d. lang. He has also recorded with Lucinda Williams and Willie Nelson.
Carl Jackson was born in Louisville, Mississippi. The bluegrass picker spent 12 years in Glen Campbell's band. He later won a Grammy for Spring Training with John Starling, and another for producing a Louvin Brothers tribute album.
Jesse Frasure was born in Dearborn, Michigan. The songwriter and producer earned his first country No. 1 in 2015 with Florida Georgia Line's "Sun Daze." He later co-wrote hits for Thomas Rhett and Cole Swindell.
Taylor "Tae" Kerr of Maddie & Tae was born. She grew up in Ada, Oklahoma. The duo's "Girl in a Country Song" hit No. 1 on Country Airplay in late 2014.
Conway Twitty was at No. 1 on the country chart with "You've Never Been This Far Before," a song he wrote himself. It was his 10th solo No. 1, and it also reached No. 22 on the pop chart.
Johnny Lee was sitting at No. 1 on the country chart with "Lookin' for Love." The song came from the Urban Cowboy movie and spent three weeks on top.
Blanco Brown's dance tune "The Git Up" was No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. It spent 12 weeks on top that summer and fall.
Source: billboard.comDustin Lynch was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. His self-titled first album reached No. 1 on the country albums chart in 2012.
Dolly Parton put out her first studio album, Hello, I'm Dolly, on Monument Records. It held "Dumb Blonde" and "Something Fishy," the singles that first got her noticed on country radio.
Porter Wagoner cut "The Carroll County Accident" at RCA's Nashville studio. Bob Ferguson wrote and produced it. The song went to No. 2 and won the CMA Song of the Year award in 1969.
Dwight Yoakam released 3 Pears on Warner Bros. Critics loved it, and it landed on more year-end best-of lists than any other country album of 2012.
Farm Aid came to the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson were among the stars who played to help family farmers.
Farm Aid set up at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, Washington. The concert raised money for America's family farmers.
Farm Aid celebrated 20 years with a concert in Tinley Park, Illinois. The benefit show first took place in 1985 to help family farmers.
Songwriter Brett James died at 57 when his small plane went down near Franklin, North Carolina. He wrote Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel," which won two Grammys, and penned 26 country No. 1 hits.
Priscilla Mitchell (1941), Greg Leisz (1949), Carl Jackson (1953) and Jesse Frasure (1981) were all born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 1973, Conway Twitty was at No. 1 on the country chart with "You've Never Been This Far Before," a song he wrote himself. In 1980, Johnny Lee was sitting at No. 1 on the country chart with "Lookin' for Love."
Every entry is checked by the Country Thang Daily editors. Spot something we got wrong? Let us know and we’ll fix it and note the change.